Air pressure gage for railroad train lines



April 20, 1965 J. c. TEMPLETON AIR PRESSURE GAGE FOR RAILROAD TRAINLINES Filed June 1, 1962 2 ets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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ATTOPA/IYQ' April 20, 1965 J. c. TEMPLETON 3,178,944

AIR PRESSURE GAGE FOR RAILROAD TRAIN LINES Filed June 1, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

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United States Fatent 3,178,944 AIR PRESSURE GAGE FOR RAILRGAD TRAINLINES Jack C. Templeton, 2050 Miller Road, Huntington 1, W. Va. FiledJune 1, 1962, Ser. No. 199,367 3 Claims. (Cl. 73-420) This inventionrelates to a gage and particularly a gage for measuring air pressure ina railroad train line.

When prepared for operation, a train of railroad cars together with alocomotive includes as part of the trains air brake system an air lineextending the full length of the train and commonly known as a trainline. Normally, the train line is charged with air in excess of apredetermined pressure, thereby releasing the brakes. A reduction inpressure below a predetermined value in the train line causes the brakesto be applied and the train to be slowed down and/or halted. Thus, inthe safe operation of a railroad train, it is necessary to be able toquickly and accurately determine the air pressure in the train line atvarious points throughout its length and especially when part of thelength of the line loses pressure as a result, for example, of a pluggedor leaking air hose or malfunctions of other brake components in the airbrake system.

Presently, when trouble is encountered in maintaining the necessarypredetermined minimum pressure in the train line due to a pressure lossat some point there along, it is necessary to remove a sufiicient numberof cars of the train to allow the train to proceed without an undue lossin time. The number of cars to be removed is accomplished by walking thetrain and, at intervals of every ten to twenty cars, shutting off thebrake valves on two adjacent cars, uncoupling the air hoseinterconnecting the two cars and applying an air gage to the uncoupledair hose and opening the brake valve on that car nearest the locomotive.After reading the pressure, the continuity of the train line must berestored by closing the open brake valve on the ad jacent car, removingthe air gage, recoupling the air hose, and finally opening the brakevalves in the Iline on the cars either side of the point of measurement.This process is continued until the maximum number of cars is found witha predetermined minimum pressure in the train line on the rear end orend remote from the locomotive. Each uncoupling and recoupling of theair hose at various points throughout the length of the train lineresults in the loss of air pressure in the trail line gen erally makingit necessary to charge the train line again with pressure before thetrain may proceed.

The primary object of my invention, therefore, is to provide apparatusfor accurately measuring and indicating the pressure in the train lineof a railroad air brake system without the loss of air from the trainline. Another object is to provide such apparatus that will measure airpressure in a train line at the hose couplings be tween cars in thetrain line without requiring the coupling to be disconnected. It isstill a further object of my invention to provide such apparatus that issmall, lightweight and portable and convenient to use in obtaining airpressure readings. Another object is to provide air pr-esusre measuringapparatus for a railroad train line that permits the pressure in theline to be checked at various points therealong in substantially lesstime than required by previously known methods.

The means for and the manner of accomplishment of the foregoing objectsas well as other objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and amodified form thereof taken together with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a front quarter elevation in perspective of air pressuremeasuring apparatus constituting a preferred embodiment of my inventionin use and measuring the air pressure at a coupling connecting two airhoses of adjacent railroad cars;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the air pressure measuring gage inuse as shown in FIGURE 1 and showing the device of my invention and anair hose coupling associated with the train line in partial section asindicated in FlGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partially longitudinally sectioned front elevation view ofthe apparatus in FIGURE 1 and one of the two abutting seals of the trainline air hose coupling in its operational relationship with theapparatus;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric View of the back side of the upper or gageportion of the apparatus showing construction details thereof;

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the positioning and sampling end of theapparatus or" FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of a modified form of apparatus embodyingmy invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged side elevation view of the positioning andsampling end of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6 and sectioned asindicated in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of that part of the apparatus shown inFIGURE 7.

The major structural elements of the preferred form of pressuremeasuring apparatus of my invention comprise a sleeve-like handle orhousing assembly 10 having a positioning fork 11 at one end thereof anda pressure sampling and indicating assembly, indicated generally at 12,within and extending from the other end thereof. Sleeve assembly to isof generally hollow cylindrical form adapted to receive with a press fitshank 13 of positioning fork 11. The tines 14 and adjacent portion 15 ofpo sitioning for-k 11 are flattened and relatively much thinner thanshank 13. The space betwen the two tines 14 is generally semi-circularwhen viewed in the plane of either of the faces 16 of tines 14 and asclearly shown in FIGURES 3 of the drawings. A relatively fine axial bore17 is provided in fork 11 extending centrally through shank 13 andadjacent portion 15 to an opening 18 substantially in the middle of thesemi-circular space between tines 14.

As shown especially in FIGURES 2 and 3, fork 11 is adapted to bereceived between the opposite and annular and radially directed faces 19of the identical mating parts 29 of a conventional railroad air hosecoupling indicated generally in the drawings by the reference numeral21. Conventional air hose coupling 21 is sealed by the engagement of theannular and radially directed abutting surfaces 22 of resilient annularseals 23 surrounding the openings in the annular faces 19 of identicalmating parts 20. The generally semi-circular opening between tines 14 offork 11 is of substantially the same diameter as the outside diameter ofthat portion of seals 23 exposed between the opposite and spaced apartannular faces 19 of identical mating parts 20 so that tines 14 may beinserted between the spaced apart identical mating parts 20 of thecoupling with fiat parallel faces 16 of tines 14 slidingly engagingannular faces 19 of identical mating parts 29 and tines 14 straddlingthe engaged annular seals 23 exposed therebetween. Thus, the fork 11 maybe brought to a position with the generally semi-circular space betweentines 14 in engagement about approximately half the circumference ofseals 23 at their line of sealing engagement and with the fine bore orpassage 17 positioned so as to lie in the plane of surface engagement ofsealing surfaces 22 of seals 23.

The end of sleeve assembly 10 opposite that which receives shank 13 ofpositioning fork 11 is provided with a guide rail 24 projecting axiallyoutwardly from the end of sleeve assembly and to one side of a centrallore extending axially therethrough. Guide rail 24 is formed withparallel and fiat front and rear faces 26 and 27 has a rectangularcentral opening 28 therethrough.

Pressure sampling indicating assembly 12 comprises a conventional airgage 3%) provided with a conventional intake fitting 31. By means of anadapter 32, a hollow air pressure sampling needle 33 is connected tointake tting 31. Needle 33 has a relatively sharp, closed end providedwith an intake hole or holes 34 through its side walls at a pointadjacent its ends.

Pressure sampling indicating assembly 12 is axially received and alignedwithin bore 25 of sleeve assembly 10 with needle 33 slidingly receivedin bore 17 of fork 11 as shown. Assembly 12 is mounted with the backside of gage in sliding engagement with front face 26 of guide rail 24.A T-shaped guide piece extends through rectangular central opening 28 ofguide rail 24 and engages the rear side of and is fastened to air gage30 by means of bolts 36. Arms 37 of guide piece 35 project outwardly ofrectangular central opening 28 and lie along and slidingly engage rearface 27 of guide rail 24. It will be apparent that pressure sampling andindicating assembly 12 as mounted has limited axial movement within bore25 of sleeve assembly 10 and bore 17 of fork 11 which permits the freeend of needle 33 to be extended from opening 18 and into the generallysemi-circular space between tines 14. Pressure sampling and indicatingassembly 12 is urged toward the outer end of guide rail 24 by spring 39acting between gage 30 and radially directed shoulder 41 provided onshank 13 of positioning fork 11.

In operation, the preferred embodiment of my invention as seen in FIGURE1 through 5 is grasped about sleeve assembly 16 and the tines 14 of fork11 inserted between the spaced apart annular faces 19 of coupling parts20 of a conventional railroad air hose conpling. Positioning fork 11 ispushed between coupling parts 20 until the semi-circular opening betweentines 14 bottoms against and around the exposed portion of sealinglyengaged annular seals 23 and overlies the line of engagement betweensurfaces 22 of said seals.

Thereupon, pressure sampling and indicating assembly 12 is moved axiallyrelative to sleeve assembly 10 as by applying thumb pressure on the topof gage 30 so that needle 33 is extended outwardly of fork 11 throughrelatively fine central bore 17 therein. When needle 33 is so extended,it passes between the engaged and sealing faces of annular seals 23 ofcoupling 21 so that its end, and, in particular, intake hole 34, isexposed within the sealed pressure line and passage through coupling 21.The resilient nature of seals 23 coupled with the fineness of needle 33permits the entrance of needle 33 between the sealing surfaces 22 ofseals 23 without any loss in air from the train line.

In the extended position with intake hole 34 of needle 33 within thetrain line passage through coupling 21, the pressure in the train lineis reflected and indicated by gage 30. When the pressure in the trainline has been noted, the pressure sampling and indicating assembly 12 isreleased and assembly 12, including needle 33, is retracted by spring 39within sleeve assembly 1%) and fork 11. When needle 33 is retracted frombetween sealing faces 22 of seals 23, the resilient nature of the sealsagain prevents any loss of air from the train line. Once the pressuresensing and indicating assembly 12 is retracted and needle 33 safelyenclosed within its passage 17 in positioning fork 11, the entireapparatus may be removed from between the identical mating parts 20 ofcoupling 21.

If the pressure measured is above a predetermined minimum level, theoperator of the apparatus continues to walk toward the rear of the trainand again samples the pressure in the train line at an appropriateinterval from the last sampling. When a reading on the gage obtained inthe manner described above falls below a predetermined minimum level,the operator of the apparatus knows that all of the railroad cars in thetrain to the rear of that point have insufficient air pressure in theirtrain line. The cause of the reduced pressure in the train line at thatpoint and rearward must be determined and/or the remaining railroad carsuncoupled from the train if it is to proceed.

Because the spaced apart radial faces 19 of the identical mating parts20 of the air hose coupling 21 generally lie in a plane at 45 to theline of travel of the train or the axis of the railroad cars, I preferto orient the tines 14 of positioning fork 11 in a plane angularlyrelated by approximately 45 to the plane of the dial face of gage 30 sothat when the gage is (positioned for operation at an air hose couplingin the train line, gage 30 faces squarely toward the side of the trainwhere the operator of the gage may read it most readily.

A modified form of the pressure measuring apparatus embodying myinvention is illustrated in FIGURES 6 through 8. The main structuralcomponents of this form of my invention are a gage 50, a relatively longand hollow handle and air pipe portion 51 and a positioning fork 52. Thegage end of handle 51 is externally threaded and attached to intakefitting 54 of gage by means of a sleeve nut 55 placing the inlet of thegage in communication with the hollow interior of handle 51. Positioningfork 52 is similar to positioning fork 11 of the other form of myinvention described above in that it has a pair of fiat and thin tines56 having a semi-circular opening therebetween. At a point centrallybetween tines 56 in the semi-circular opening therebetween, I provide aprojecting feathered and rounded sampling lip 57 which extends into andwithin the semi-circular opening be tween tines 56. A fine bore 58 isprovided from the forward most projecting portion of lip 57 back throughand internally of positioning fork 52 to a point where one end of handle51 is suitably fastened as by welding to positioning fork 52. Face 59 ofpositioning fork 52 to which the end of handle 51 is joined is providedwith a counterbore 60 which places fine bore 58 extending from theforward edge of lip 57 in communication with the hollow interior ofhandle 51 and thus the inlet of gage 50.

In operation, the form of my invention shown in FIGURE 6 through 8 anddescribed immediately above is grasped by handle 51 and positioning fork52 is inserted between the identical mating parts of a conventional airhose coupling in the same manner as is fork 11 of the other embodimentof my invention. Times 56 reach about and engage the outside diameter ofthe exposed portion of the seals in the coupling while lip 57 With itsfeathered forward edge slips between a small area of the sealing facesor the sealing line face of engagement between the seals and extendsradially into communication with the passage through the coupling. Inthis manner, air pressure in the train line is sampled without theescapeof air from the system. Upon noting the reading of the pressure in thetrain line on gage 50, positioning fork is merely removed bymanipulation of handle 51 and projecting lip 57 is withdrawn frombetween the surfaces of sealing engagement between the seals in the airhose coupling without loss of air from the train line.

This form of my invention is not so compact or handy as the preferredembodiment thereof but enjoys the advantage of permitting the operatorof the apparatus to stand out from between the two adjacent cars of atrain when sampling the pressure in the train line. This not only savesthe operator time but permits him to maintain himself always in arelatively safer position than that required when operating thepreferred form of my invention. Additionally, the modified form of myinvention will stand perhaps more rugged treatment than the preferredembodiment thereof because it does not involve the fine and relativelydelicate retractable needle. The retraction feature of the preferredform of my invention does adequately protect the fine pressure samplingneedle 33 which contributes to the success of my invention because theneedle is always shielded except during the sampling operation. Each ofthe forms has its respective advantages in operation and both formsemploy the concept of a positioning fork receivable between the spacedapart and opposite annular faces of the identical mating parts of aconventional air hose coupling in a railroad train line. The forkpositions the fine bore air sampling element accurately and positivelyat the line of engagement of the radial faces of the annular seals inthe air hose coupling and at that point where the pressure samplingelement is able to slide between the sealingly engaged faces of theseals and place the intake of a pressure gage in communication with thepressure in the railroad train line without any loss of air from thetrain line and without requiring the air hose coupling to bedisconnected.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other changes andmodifications can be made in the preferred form of apparatus describedherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a railroad train line at aconnected air hose coupling thereon having a pair of identical matingparts each carrying an annular seal member having a radially directedannular surface in sealing and airtight engagement with the other, saidapparatus comprising means for measuring and indicating air pressure,

a relatively thin and fiat fork-like means having laterally spaced aparttines and a thin sampling portion projecting forwardly from and into thespace between said tines, said tines having corresponding pairs of flat,oppositely facing positioning faces, the positioning faces facing onedirection on said tines lying in substantially one plane and thepositioning faces facing the other direction on said tines lying insubstantially another plane spaced apart from and generally parallel tosaid one plane,

said sampling portion having a longitudinal forwardly projecting axislying between, parallel to and generally equidistant from said one andsaid other planes and the positioning faces of said tines lying thereinand having a longitudinal passage therein in fluid communication withsaid pressure measuring means and terminating at an opening adjacent theforward end thereof,

said tines being receivably slidable between the pair of identicalmating parts of the connected hose coupling on opposite sides of thesealingly engaged annular seal member sand with said corresponding pairsof said oppositely facing positioning faces on said tines in guiding andpositioning engagement with the corresponding ones of the pair ofidentical mating parts thereby positioning the longitudinal axis of saidsampling portion between and generally in the plane of the surfaces ofsealing engagement of the sealingly engaged annular seal members and insealing engagement with said seal members with said opening in fluidcommunication with the train line.

2. Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a railroad train line at aconnected air hose coupling thereon having a pair of identical matingparts each carrying an annular seal member having a radially directedannular surface in sealing and airtight engagement with the other, saidap paratus comprising a hollow sleeve-like housing,

a fork-like means having a shank portion receivable within one end ofsaid housing, a bifurcated portion having a pair of laterally spacedapart tines and a longitudinal passage extending therethrough andbeginning at an opening substantially midway between said tines andextending axially of said shank portion, said tines having correspondingpairs of fiat, oppositely facing positioning faces, the positioningfaces facing one direction on said tine lying in substantially one planeand the positioning faces facing the other direction on said tines lyingin substantially another plane spaced apart from and generally parallelto said one plane, said longitudinal passage having a longitudinal axislying between, parallel to and generally equidistant from said one andsaid other planes and the positioning faces of said tines lying therein,

a pressure gage having an inlet opening,

a longitudinally extending thin hollow needle having one end attached tosaid gage with the hollow interior of said needle and said inlet incommunication and the other end of said hollow needle having an openingadjacent thereto,

mounting means associated with said housing for slidably suporting saidgage and said needle with said needle in axial alignment with saidpassage in said fork-like means and providing for reciprocating movementof said gage and needle relative to said housing and said fork-likemeans between an extended position of said needle out of said passageand into the space between said tines and a protected and retractedposition of said needle from the space etween said tines, said tinesbeing adapted to slidably fit between the pair of identical mating partsof the connected air hose coupling and to straddle the annular sealmembers sealing engaged between the mating parts and with saidcorresponding pairs of said oppositely facing positioning faces on saidtines in guiding and positioning engagement with the corresponding onesof the pair of identical mating parts for positioning said passage inalignment with the plane of sealing engagement of the sealing surfacesof the seals and with said passage opening adjacent said seals,

whereby said opening in said needle is placed into and out ofcommunication with the train line by the seal ingly engaged passage ofsaid needle between the annular sealing surfaces of the sealing membersat its extended and retracted positions.

3. Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a railroad train line at aconnected air hose coupling thereon having a pair of identical matingparts each carrying an annular seal member having a radially directedannular surface in sealing and airtight engagement with the other, saidapparatus comprising a gage means having an intake fitting for providingan inlet to said gage,

a longitudinally extending hollow handle portion connected at one end tosaid intake fitting with the hollow interior of said handle incommunication with said inlet,

a fork-like positioning means fastened to the other end of said hollowhandle and having a pair of laterally spaced apart tines, said tineshaving corresponding pairs of fiat, oppositely facing positioning faces,the positioning faces facing one direction on said tines lying insubstantially one plane and the positioning faces facing the otherdirection on said tines lying in substantially another plane spacedapart from and generally parallel to said one plane, and

a relatively sharp-edged lip portion projecting forwardly into a spacebetween said tines and a fine bore air passage extending from an openingon the forward side of said lip through said fork-like means to and incommunication with the hollow interior of said handle, said fine boreair passage having a longitudinal axis lying between and parallel tosaid one and said other planes and the positioning faces of said tineslying therein,

7 8 said fork-like positioning means adapted to receivably 7 ReferencesCited by the Examiner slide between the identical mating parts of thecou- UNITED STATES PATENTS pling with said corresponding pairs of saidoppositely facing positioning faces on said tines in guiding 2/11 Werner73-52 X and positioning engagement with the corresponding 5 6/25Cochran: 73 52 ones of the pairs of identical mating parts and into2736969 3/56 Boyle 33 189 straddling engagement with the engaged sealmern- FOREIGN PATENTS hers for positioning said lip portion in asealingly en- 680,704 1/30 France. gaged relationship with and betweenthe sealing sur- 32 1/39 Germany faces of said seals with its forwardside extending 10 437 375 3 Great Britain into the train line and saidopening in communication with the train line. RICHARD C. QUEISSER,Primary Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE PRESSURE IN A RAILROAD TRAIN LINE AT ACONNECTED AIR HOSE COUPLING THEREON HAVING A PAIR OF IDENTICAL MATINGPARTS EACH CARRYING AN ANNULAR SEAL MEMBER HAVING A RADIALLY DIRECTEDANNUALR SURFACE IN SEALING AND AIRTIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER, SAIDAPPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS FOR MEASURING AND INDICATING AIR PRESSURE, ARELATIVELY THIN AND FLAT FORK-LIKE MEANS HAVING LATERALLY SPACED APARTTIMES AND A THIN SAMPLING PORTION PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM AND INTO THESPACE BETWEEN SAID TINES, SAID TINES HAVING CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF FLAT,OPPOSITELY FACING POSITIONING FACES, THE POSITIONING FACES FACING ONEDIRECTION ON SAID TINES LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY ONE PLANE AND THEPOSITIONING FACES FACING THE OTHER DIRECTION ON SAID TINES LYING INSUBSTANTIALLY ANOTHER PLANE SPACED APART FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TOSAID ONE PLANE, SAID SAMPLING PORTION HAVING A LONGITUDINAL FORWARDLYPROJECTING AXIS LYING BETWEEN, PARALLEL TO AND GENERALLY EQUIDISTANTFROM SAID ONE AND SAID OTHER PLANES AND THE POSITIONING FACES OF SAIDTINES LYING THEREIN AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE THEREIN IN FLUIDCOMMUNICATION WITH SAID PRESSURE MEASURING MEANS AND TERMINATING AT ANOPENING ADJACENT THE FORWARD END THEREOF, SAID TINES BEING RECEIVABLYSLIDABLE BETWEEN THE PAIR OF IDENTICAL MATING PARTS OF THE CONNECTEDHOSE COUPLING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SEALINGLY ENGAGED ANNULAR SEALMEMBER SAND WITH SAID CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF SAID OPPOSITELY FACINGPOSITIONING FACES ON SAID TINES IN GUIDING AND POSITIONING ENGAGEMENTWITH THE CORRESPONDING ONES OF THE PAIR OF IDENTICAL MATING PARTSTHEREBY POSITIONING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SAMPLING PORTIONBETWEEN AND GENERALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE SURFACES OF SEALING ENGAGEMENTOF THE SEALINGLY ENGAGED ANNULAR SEAL MEMBERS AND IN SEALING ENGAGEMENTWITH SAID SEAL MEMBERS WITH SAID OPENING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH THETRAIN LINE.